Waiting
by MissMandS
Summary: She remembers the restlessness slowly melting away with each step that she took, her steps growing lighter and lighter. And then, Dwalin remembers hearing that woman's voice. The voice had come so unexpectedly she nearly fell over as she stopped. The voice was soft and teasing as it tickled at the edges of her mind. Fem!Dwalin. Part 6 of Femslash February.


If anyone says anything and I mean anything hateful or bad about asexuality or aces. Think about it. Get off my profile. Shut your pie hole and keep the nastiness to yourself. Okay? Okay.

Because there is nothing with asexuality or being an asexual. There can be relationships without sex and they can indeed be healthy and loving so please do not assume that because someone is asexual means they cannot have a healthy relationship if they so choose to have one. And again, shut the pie holes and keep any nastiness to yourselves. Okay? Okay.

* * *

The elf woman stares down at her with eyes that are wise beyond Dwalin's eyes, even wiser than her older brother's. She's tall, slender and willowy with long golden hair hanging down her back. Her skin is ivory, untouched by the sun or the scars that mark Dwalin's own skin.

"I have been waiting for you for a long time Dwalin, daughter of Fundin." Even her voice is untouched by hatred or jealously. The woman's words though have her laughing and snorting as she shakes her head.

"You've been waiting for me a long time? What reasons have you to wait for me?" Dwalin demands. The woman doesn't look offended in the slightest at her manners, her face remaining impassive as she turns away.

"You have travelled a long way and you need rest. There will be time for us to talk later." And with a sweep of her gown, she's gone. Replacing her is a blank faced elf who gestures for Dwalin to follow after them. If Dwalin is honest, she cannot remember how she got here. She cannot even remember what drew her here. She remembers being restless, the feeling growing in her chest day after day until it felt as if she would explode. And it felt so natural for her to run out the door, pack on her shoulder and axes on back.

She remembers the restlessness slowly melting away with each step that she took, her steps growing lighter and lighter. And then, Dwalin remembers hearing that woman's voice. The voice had come so unexpectedly she nearly fell over as she stopped. The voice was soft and teasing as it tickled at the edges of her mind. And just as natural as it felt to run out of her door, it felt so natural for Dwalin to run towards the direction she thought she heard the voice. And then had come the light.

Lovely is not a word she will use to describe the woman. Lovely is not a word that Dwalin, daughter of Fundin uses. It's a word perhaps that her brother will use if he ever meets this woman who once more stands in front of her.

"You said before, you've been waiting for me a long time. And I want to know, what reasons you have to wait for me?" The woman gives her a smile that has her lips turning up at the edges slowly, her eyes crinkling as she motions for Dwalin to follow her. The woman leads her to a basin of water where she picks up a pitcher that she pours into the basin. Dwalin stares at it doubtfully, crossing her arms over her chest as the woman sets the pitcher down.

"Will you look into the mirror?" The woman asks. Dwalin stares at the mirror, wondering what exactly awaits her there.

"What am I going to see?" And again all Dwalin gets in response is that eye crinkling smile as she steps up and looks into the mirror.

The first thing she sees is her brother, much older with a snowy white hair and beard. There's a book spread on his lap and a group of children climbing over his shoulders, his lap, clutching as his legs. And there, hovering behind him is the woman, a soft gleam in her eyes as the children tug on his beard.

Dwalin is there and so is the elf woman with their hands linked and she sees herself actually laughing alongside the woman. The children climb all over them, tugging on her tunic and the woman's dress. Her grip on the edges of the basin tighten as she lifts her head to find the woman staring at her, expression as patient as ever.

"You've got the wrong dwarf." Dwalin says and the woman merely inclines her head and closes her eyes.

"I will not force you to stay here, Dwalin, daughter of Fundin. If you wish to leave and return to your home then we will not stop you. All I ask is that you stay for a few days, rest for you are weary." Dwalin will never admit it aloud, especially not to an elf but yes, she is weary and wants sleep. She wouldn't mind a meal either but it seems these elves don't have anything around but leaves. Still though, she scrunches her shoulders up and sighs.

"Very well then. Show me to my bedroom or wherever it is I'm staying." And with that she finds herself being led away from the basin by a group of elves. As she glances over her shoulder she finds the woman still standing there, staring down into the basin.

She does not see nor hear from her hostess for a few hours. The only elves she sees are the ones who drift by her bedroom, all of them talking in soft whispers. Nobody here ever seems to raise their voice, never seems to spar or even have a desire to. She's been here for hours and night is beginning to fall. Still nobody raises their voice, nobody spars and she doesn't hear even a sliver of laughter. As Dwalin contemplates packing up her things and leaving she hears her hostesses voice.

"And thus in anguish Beren paid, for that great doom upon him," Dwalin rises from the bed and moves towards the doorway, looking towards the woman who drifts away from it, holding a book in front of her.

"Laid the deathless love of Lúthien, too fair for love of mortal men; and in his doom was Lúthien snared, the deathless in his dying shared; and fate them forged a binding chain of living love and mortal pain." Dwalin recites and watches as the woman stops, closing the book with a smile on her face.

"You know the tale then of Beren and Lúthien?" The woman looks at her as if seeing her for the first time and Dwalin clears her throat under the gaze.

"My brother, he's the scholar. When we were kids and I annoyed him, used to punish me by reading me books. I'll never tell him but the tale of Beren and Lúthien is my favorite." It's the only one that she can stand from her childhood, the only book she'll ever sit down to read though she'll throttle someone before admitting it.

"Would you join me in reading then?" The woman asks and Dwalin finds it is impossible to say no to her. That is how she finds herself sitting next to the woman, reading the tale of Beren and Lúthien together in the early hours of the morning until she begins to nod off. Finally the woman chuckles and closes the book. She stands up and heads for the doorway, inclining her head once more.

"I look forward to another day reading with you." She pauses in the doorway and looks over her shoulder.

"It occurs to me that I've yet to introduce myself. I am the Lady Galadriel." Dwalin barely hears her, already drifting off in the chair where they sat together mere moments ago.

This is how Dwalin finds herself with each passing day, sitting with Galadriel and reading the tale of Beren and Lúthien over and over. Sometimes another elf comes and puts a platter of snacks out for them and Dwalin's delighted to notice there is meat on the tray. In return for the food and the reading, she teaches Galadriel how to use axes. She almost laughs the first time she sees the willowy woman pick up the axes. Until she sees the calculating smile on Galadriel's face. They train long into the afternoon: the air full with the sounds of weapons clashing, Galadriel's laugh and Dwalin's growls.

The longer she stays though, the more Dwalin wonders. Her mind wanders back to the visions from the basin often: of the children, tugging on her brother's beard and climbing all over her. Of her hands loosely linked with Galadriel's as the children tug on them and compete for their attention. She wonders if the woman knows and what exactly this woman sees in her.

She straightens her Mohawk and beard, checks her nails and makes sure that her clothes aren't too dirty when she decides to go and see Galadriel. She has been here for nearly a month now and should become used to the woman sneaking up on her with silent feet. But she's not. When Dwalin turns to find Galadriel standing there she still jumps, scowling as the woman smiles.

"There is something on your mind." Galadriel says and Dwalin's scowl only deepens.

"Aye, there is." Galadriel paces casually around the room, her gown trailing silently behind her. And Dwalin wants to throw her axes, scream or for once, be the one who sneaks up on her and scares her. But all she can do is watch Galadriel's endless pacing.

"Tell me what it is. I do not guarantee you an understanding but I guarantee you that I will listen." Dwalin sighs and her chest and shoulders deflate as she stares up at Galadriel who watches her, eyes as patient as ever.

"I cannot give you what you want if it is a bed partner and someone to spend nights with. I've no interest in the act; never have really. If I've mislead you then I'm sorry but," She's cut off by Galadriel who holds up a hand. There is hurt in her eyes, clear and sharp as she stares at Dwalin.

"Do you doubt my affections? That I would change my mind all because you wish not to share your body with me? Dwarves are not the only ones who dedicate their lives to their crafts." And there is that smile that makes her lips turn up at the edges and her eyes crinkle.

"But you said that you've been waiting for me a long time." Dwalin points out and the smile only widens.

"I have been waiting for thousands and thousands of years. And I will be content to spend the time I have with you reading the tale of Beren and Lúthien, learning how to wield an axe and doing whatever we find that we enjoy."

"I hope that my brothers not around for he'll never let this go. But I think you're a lovely elf maiden." Dwalin says and bends down to kiss Galadriel's hand, listening with delight to the laugh that comes from her.

* * *

Her brother does come eventually after several letters are exchanged. Panicked on Balin's part, demanding to know what she thought she was doing and just where is. Dwalin's are full of amusement as she tells him all about her stay in Lothlórien and Galadriel. When she writes the letter, announcing their courting she cannot stop herself from rolling around on the ground and roaring with laughter.

When she hears her brother's familiar footsteps she straps her axes onto her back with a grin and accepts Galadriel's waiting hand. The two walk together down towards the sounds of her brother's voice. As her foot touches the first step she shares a smile with Galadriel. The second step she smiles at her brother. The third, at her cousins, Óin and Glóin. By the time they reach the bottom her face hurts.

Balin stares with wide eyes at Galadriel and she knows his eyes are on the braid which now rests in Galadriel's hair. Óin and Glóin gape at the circlet adorning her head. Dwalin snorts at their expressions.

"It's an elf thing so I'm told." Dwalin says and allows her gaze to flicker towards Galadriel.

"Welcome Balin, son of Fundin. Welcome, Óin and Glóin, sons of Gróin. Dwalin has told me many tales of you." This is enough to pull her brother from his trance. Balin gives her a look that promises they will talk later as he turns to Galadriel.

"Has she now? I suppose that she's failed to tell you any stories of herself then?" And with that they're lead to dinner. Dwalin watches with amusement as throughout the dinner her brother blushes, clears his throat and becomes flustered with each smile that Galadriel gives him. She has no problem charming him with her knowledge of books and history. Óin, she charms with the promise to give him a tour of their herbs and medicinal plants, promising to allow him to take some back to Erebor. Glóin, all he needs to charm him is listening to tale after tale of his wife and son, Gimli.

With Glóin still talking at the end of dinner Dwalin catches her brother's eye and stands up, following after him. They walk away from the others and walk together until the noise fades away to nothing. Balin reaches into his pocket and pulls out his pipe, humming thoughtfully as he chews on the end of it.

"I wasn't sure when I got your letter and I'm still not sure," Balin begins and holds up a hand when Dwalin opens her mouth.

"I never imagined you would find your one with an elf, let alone an elf such as that but she seems like a good sort. She gets you to read which is something not even I can accomplish." His teasing is met with a growl from Dwalin.

"She's the best kind of sort. There are others here, you know like me and her. Some of em are married and some of them aren't." Balin hums once more and puffs on his pipe. He doesn't say anymore but blows a smoke ring into the air, smiling at her as he pats her shoulder.

When she goes to bed that night, slipping under the covers, she reaches for Galadriel's hand and smiles as she finds it there, open and waiting like always. Linking her fingers through hers, closes her eyes and listens.

"And thus in anguish Beren paid, for that great doom upon him," Dwalin keeps her eyes closed as she cuts her off.

"Laid the deathless love of Lúthien, too fair for love of mortal men; and in his doom was Lúthien snared, the deathless in his dying shared; and fate them forged a binding chain of living love and mortal pain." Beside her Galadriel pauses and closes the book.

"If you know it then why don't you read to me?" Dwalin pretends not to feel the book being pushed against her side and squeezes her eyes shut tighter.

"Because, my brother knows I read. And I can't have that." She feels Galadriel's laugh down to the marrow of her bones as she picks up where she left off.

* * *

I meant for this one to only be a short little thing like a thousand words or so tops but then it turned into this huge long thing and this couple was too much fun and just too cute to write for. Littlenori has requested some Bifur/Ori for todays pairing and then we're most likely going to have some trans!Dwalin/Ori for tomorrow.


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